The commotion from Sibu Hall was no small matter. Naturally, it drew a gathering of Yamen Runners within the Yamen, but the Forbidden Guards dispersed them all.
When Ren Qing woke up, it was already the next morning.
He only felt cold all over, his clothes soaked through by the damp dew.
Looking around, Ren Qing found himself in a familiar dilapidated temple, and his expression immediately stiffened.
Ren Qing turned to look toward the center of the temple. A Four-armed Six-eyed statue sat cross-legged there, great swaths of dust swirling around it.
He did not dare disturb it and obediently waited nearby.
After roughly two hours, Song Zongwu finally finished cultivating and slowly stepped down from the Lotus Throne.
"Greetings, Senior Song."
Song Zongwu patted Ren Qing on the shoulder and said, "Are you interested in joining the Forbidden Guards? I can be your guide."
"Senior Song, my strength is truly limited."
Ren Qing forced himself to refuse. He had originally planned to lie low until reaching the Ghost Envoy Realm. Of course, if Song Zongwu insisted, there would be nothing he could do.
Song Zongwu waved dismissively, then asked curiously, "Other than the Human Skin Book, you should have mastered another Art as well, right? Has it reached the Half-Corpse Realm?"
"That is indeed the case."
Ren Qing knew he could not hide it from Song Zongwu, so he readily admitted it.
After all, the room bore countless traces of battle. Although the Muscle Giant's intrusion had concealed some of them, that did not mean they could not be detected.
He simply revealed the Double Pupils in his eyes, using them to ensure that the Divine Feet Scripture would not be exposed. If he were mistaken for having ties to the Bloodhound Gang, even jumping into the Yellow River would not wash him clean.
And if the Bloodhound Gang learned that Ren Qing had mastered the Divine Feet Scripture at the Half-Corpse Realm, they would certainly move against him as well. The future troubles would be endless.
Song Zongwu's heart was filled with surprise.
He had not regarded Ren Qing seriously before, but he now discovered that Ren Qing could indeed be called exceptionally gifted.
Back in the prison, Ren Qing should only just have entered the Martial Human Realm, and the changes in his pupils had not been obvious.
Yet how long had it been? He had already reached the Half-Corpse Realm. Could it be that his physique happened to be compatible with the Art?
Seemingly calm and unruffled, Song Zongwu asked, "What Art did these Double Pupils of yours come from?"
Ren Qing could not help but pause, then immediately understood.
Even Song Zongwu could not recognize the Double Pupils, which meant there were very few people who cultivated the Eye-less Method. Perhaps even the aberration path of Double-Pupil Users had never appeared before.
Come to think of it, that was indeed possible.
Many Arts had harsh prerequisites. Since ancient times, probably only a handful of cultivators had mastered them, so not every aberration branch had necessarily been uncovered.
Ren Qing answered vaguely, "I do not know either. I obtained an unnamed Art by a fortunate coincidence."
"..."
Song Zongwu's mouth twitched slightly. If he had previously heard that someone could grope their own way into the Half-Corpse Realm, he would only have considered it utter nonsense.
After all, the dangers of cultivation lurked everywhere. One misstep, and one would die with the Dao annihilated.
"Your luck is good. When an Art breaks through, one may very well encounter a Tribulation. It contains great terror. It is said to be the unseen influence of the creators of the Primordial Arts."
"The higher the realm, the more careful one must be during breakthroughs."
There was something Song Zongwu did not say: luck was also part of talent, and perhaps an enormously important part.
Ren Qing had never heard of Tribulations before, but he already believed most of it.
No wonder the lifespan consumed by the Information Flow to advance after cultivating an Art to minor success was always fixed.
So the Information Flow also eliminated the calamity of realm breakthroughs.
Ren Qing carefully probed, "Does cultivating independently conflict with devouring Eerie Objects?"
Song Zongwu regarded Ren Qing more highly now, so his explanation was especially patient, far beyond anything recorded in Chronicles of the Thatched Cottage.
"Let me give you an example..."
"If you master an Art through an Eerie Object such as the Human Skin Book, then to break through to the Half-Corpse Realm, you must obtain an Eerie Object such as a Skin Peeler, Skin Refiner, or Livestock Herder.
"And if a Skin Peeler wishes to break through, it needs an Eerie Object like the Death Substitute Bone Demon. Devouring Eerie Objects from different aberration paths only leads to death."
Song Zongwu said earnestly, "On the surface, devouring Eerie Objects looks like a shortcut, but in truth, it is a road of no return."
The higher an Eerie Object's realm, the greater its intelligence. Even if one could fully control it, the degree of aberration could not be controlled.
This uncontrollable aberration would even spread throughout the entire body, including every piece of flesh and every bone.
As a result, independent cultivation would become impossible, because the entire body would no longer have room for the Art to continue developing.
Simply put, the foundation had been squeezed dry.
"You still have room to maneuver. In the future, focus on the Double Pupils Art. As for the Human Skin Book, do not think about advancing it, even if you obtain the corresponding Eerie Object."
Ren Qing felt that without someone to guide him, under normal circumstances, he would probably not even know how he died while cultivating Arts.
He could not help asking curiously, "When I usually beat my body with a wooden stick, I can clearly feel my skin becoming tougher. Is that the effect of the Human Skin Book?"
Song Zongwu did not think much of it. "Every aberration path has a different Cultivation method. If you temper your skin over time, you will gradually draw closer to a Skin Refiner."
"A Skin Peeler relies on stripping off its own skin and regrowing it. Livestock Herders are even stranger and more bizarre. It is said they can turn living people into livestock."
Ren Qing nodded.
He roughly understood the aberration branches of the Human Skin Book. Skin Refiners were actually more like Golden Bell Shield Iron Shirt, the most normal kind.
That made Ren Qing's heart itch, and he began entertaining the thought of advancing the Human Skin Book.
Song Zongwu said regretfully, "Because of the Human Skin Book, you cannot cultivate any Arts involving the body. For your third Art, you can choose one related to the internal organs."
What he did not know was that Ren Qing had mastered the Human Skin Book through the Information Flow, so it did not actually affect him.
Ren Qing continued asking about many problems he had encountered in cultivation, only stopping when the noonday sun had set.
Song Zongwu also told Ren Qing the general details of the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone.
Although Song Zongwu did not mention joining the Forbidden Guards again during that time, he repeatedly hinted that he could teach Ren Qing an Art related to the internal organs.
Tempted by the benefits, Ren Qing held fast to his original intentions and firmly refused every Art, but Song Zongwu still saw through his little scheme.
Song Zongwu could not help laughing as he scolded, "So what if you master another Art? Is Sanxiang City supposed to rely on a mere Fire Worker like you?"
Ren Qing looked somewhat embarrassed. "Then thank you, Senior Song."
Song Zongwu paused before saying, "Besides, this time the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone will be deploying Yamen Runners anyway. The overseers of every street will not be able to avoid it."
Ren Qing still unwillingly wanted to refuse, but Song Zongwu continued, "Do not worry. You will only be sealing off the surrounding area. No one will enter without absolute certainty."
Ren Qing could only nod. "Roughly when will we be going to the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone?"
"Within ten days. This matter cannot be delayed. Fortunately, it is not particularly dangerous for Yamen Runners."
After saying that, Song Zongwu prepared to leave. Before he left, he reminded him, "When you have time, look through some Blade Martial Arts. They may be of some use."
"Senior Song, I always feel like the martial manuals are missing something."
Song Zongwu did not answer directly.
"You can also try cultivating the Human Skin Book toward the Skin Refiner path. Although you cannot break through realms, at least it can increase your strength."
Before you continue